Loki's Unknown Servant
by TonyStarkFan
Summary: What would happen if Loki's scepter had delayed effects on Tony? Stark would never willingly hurt a member of his team...would he? (Takes place a week after the battle of New York, so before Iron Man 3.)
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: I do not own Marvel or the Avengers.**

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Chapter 1

"I was planning on eating one of those! What the heck do you think you're doing, you stupid god?"

That was the "pleasant" voice Steve Rogers woke up to that morning. He'd merely been trying to get a couple extra hours of sleep when Tony Stark's furious tone blasted its way into his hearing range. He heaved a weary sigh and hauled himself to his feet, padding toward the kitchen. His sock covered feet barely made a sound.

"I am sorry, Man of Iron. I did not mean to upset you."

"It's kind of too late for that because you ate the last of my favorite freaking pop-tarts!"

"Why not eat your second favorite?"

"I don't want brown sugar cinnamon, for God's sake! I was planning on having s'mores."

Steve mentally face-palmed as he strode into the stressful environment. All of that yelling for a measly toaster snack when there were a dozen different kinds in the cupboard.

"Good. You're here. Tell Point Break he owes me a pack of pop-tarts," Tony snapped at Steve as soon as he entered the room.

Steve repressed another sigh. There were times where he regretted moving in with the Avengers. They had at least half a dozen floors at the top of Stark Tower, but he had to be on the one with a temperamental billionaire.

"I did not realize Stark cared this much," Thor insisted, confusion creeping into his eyes.

"It's all right, Thor," Steve assured him in a calm voice.

"All right? Seriously?!" Stark demanded vehemently.

Steve paused to cast a scrutinizing stare at the man. He seemed even more scatterbrained than usual. His dark brown hair was a mess, he was still in his sleepwear even though one slipper appeared to be missing, and his chocolate colored eyes were glassy from lack of sleep.

Stark would deny it if Steve brought the subject up, but he knew the inventor was having nightmares. There had been the occasional time Steve was jolted awake from the sound of terrified cries coming from Stark's general direction. His keen ears would pick up unintelligible reassurances from Pepper to her troubled boyfriend.

"Well?" Stark urged, his eyebrows raising expectantly.

The Captain hesitated again. Tony had been even more volatile as of late. Steve suspected it was because of the tension that came with directing a nuclear bomb into an alien portal. The others had been treading on thin ice around their comrade all week.

"I think," Steve started slowly, "you should settle down. You're a billionaire. You could have pop-tarts flown in on a helicopter, for heaven's sake!"

Tony blinked, the heated light fading from his eyes. "Uh...right. Wait, why the heck would I do that? It's not even that big a deal."

Steve and Thor exchanged concerned looks. Tony was known to be unfocused at times, but he'd never acted like he had no idea what was going on.

"Stark?" Steve questioned cautiously. "Are you okay?"

"I'm..." The usual confident, bright look returned to the man's eyes in a snap. "Yeah, I'm fine. Why do you ask?"

"No reason," Steve returned, keeping his voice even.

He couldn't let Stark find out he was worried. He'd never hear the end of it. He could already imagine getting an earful of, _"You? Worried about me? And here I thought you didn't like me."_

To be honest, that wasn't entirely wrong. Every time Steve saw Tony, he saw Howard. And he knew Tony hated that considering Howard was kind while Tony...wasn't.

"Anyway!" Stark spoke up, clapping his hands and rubbing them against each other. "Since Goldilocks ate all of my favorite pop-tarts I guess I'll find something else to eat."

Thor looked like he wanted to apologize again, but Stark was already heading into the large, closed off pantry.

"What has just occurred here, Captain?" Thor queried when Tony was out of earshot.

"I don't know," Steve answered. "I say we just keep an eye on him for now."

"Keep an eye on who?" Clint Barton asked as he jogged into the room, immediately perching himself on a stool at the island in the middle of the kitchen.

"The Man of Iron," Thor rumbled in return. "He has been acting strange."

Clint snorted as he grabbed a granola bar off the table and began to unwrap it. "Stark is _always _acting strange."

"Not like this," Steve said sternly, his tone demanding attention. "I'll tell you later."

Barton half shrugged, but didn't protest as he munched his granola.

Natasha Romanoff was the next person to enter the room. She didn't say a word as she cast a short glance at each of the members in the vicinity. She didn't even have to ask to know something was up. Natasha slipped onto a stool next to Clint and opened her own granola bar.

"And the gang's all here," Tony called as he poked his head out the door of the pantry. "Hold on. Where's Banner?"

"Working," Barton and Natasha said in unison.

_As usual, _Steve mused to himself. The good doctor was as bad as Stark if not worse.

"He's bound to be hungry," Tony said, mostly to himself as he grabbed a leftover plate of Chinese food from the refrigerator.

"Is he going to want that for breakfast?" Barton asked skeptically.

"I could give him a plate of toxic waste and he'd eat it," Stark scoffed over his shoulder as he left. "That's how distracted Banner gets."

Part of Steve wanted to follow Tony to make sure he didn't...explode again like he had at Thor, but he really was hungry.

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Tony balanced the heaping dish of food in his right hand as he punched in the code to the R & D lab with his left. He yanked the door open and headed inside as it hissed shut behind him.

"Hey, Banner!" he shouted above the noise of the many computers whirring in harmony. "Yo! Break time, buddy."

Bruce turned and pushed the clear goggles up into his nest of curly brown hair. "Is it morning already?"

"Yeah. How long have you been down here?" Tony asked as he set the plate on the cleanest table he could find.

"Just a few hours. I woke up at three and couldn't sleep," Bruce told him, washing his hands at the sink before digging in hungrily.

Tony nodded his understanding. He felt the same way. Ever since the Chitauri invasion he'd been having nightmares about Loki of all people. Every night was the same thing. Loki would try to use his "Glowstick of Destiny" and it wouldn't work, therefore throwing Tony out the window. He'd even had a few of Loki talking to him about taking over Midgard again. What was that about?

"Tony!"

He was transported out of his thoughts by Banner's sharp yet concerned voice.

"Yeah, I'm listening. What were you saying?"

"I was asking if you were okay," Bruce said gently.

Tony paused. Funny. Rogers had asked him that not half an hour ago. "I'm fine. Why?"

"Because you zoned out."

He must have been lost in thought longer than he'd realized. "Right. What are you working on?" he inquired, abruptly changing the subject.

Bruce shrugged. "This and that. Mostly cures for...you know."

Tony wasn't one to feel sympathetic, but he did now. Banner would never stop trying to find a cure for the Hulk...and failing.

"I could help you if you want," Tony offered.

"No, thanks. I think I'll take a break," Bruce admitted as he picked up the now empty plate. "I'll be right back to clean up."

Tony watched him go before turning to survey the room. It really was a mess. It looked like Banner had all of Tony's robots working with him.

He grabbed the nearest shiny object (a.k.a. a stainless steel bowl) and looked into it, observing the fact that he needed a shave.

Tony startled at the unfamiliar sight that greeted him when he cast his gaze at the one of his reflection. His normally dark brown eyes had light flecks of blue in them. That was weird.

"What are you doing?" Banner question curiously when he had come back in.

"Uh...nothing," Tony answered, putting the bowl down.

It must have been his imagination. That had to be it. After all, he'd never had eyes resembling the color blue in his entire life.

"Hey, I was thinking we'd hit Shawarma for lunch at one. You there?" Tony asked Bruce, purposely meeting the man's eyes, seeing if he would notice the change.

Banner nodded and smiled, not taking note of Tony's eyes. He really _must _have been imagining it.

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**I had a really great time writing this. I'd love to have reviews on what you think and if I should continue. Thanks! ;)**


	2. Chapter 2

**Thanks for the reviews and the follows, you guys! It means a lot, so I worked to get the next chapter done.**

**There's slight Clintasha and some Pepperony in this one. Enjoy!**

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Chapter 2

Clint was utterly bored. He didn't even know what he was doing at Shawarma in the first place. Well, that wasn't entirely true. Partially he'd come because Natasha had and partially because Stark had threatened to prank all his arrows while he was asleep if he didn't.

He was getting a weird sense of déjá vu sitting there. They were at the same table where they'd eaten right after the battle of New York. He'd unconsciously put his leg in the same position in Natasha's chair. Banner was quietly nibbling his food while Thor was doing the complete opposite in his noisy crunching. Stark was staring at the far wall absent-mindedly, his eyes glazed over. Further investigation proved that Cap was watching him intently while trying not to seem interested.

Clint resisted the urge to chuckle. Steve could learn a thing or two about stealth.

Nat shot him a curious look at his restrained laugh and he shook his head, his expression reading, "I'll tell you later."

She understood and gave a curt nod, turning back to her barely touched food.

"So..." Clint began, fiddling with a toothpick. "This is...fun."

Nat smirked at him, but he otherwise got no answer. Yeah, what a great team. Talkative, too.

"That's it," he said suddenly, taking his leg off her chair and getting up. "I'm out of here. I have better things to be doing."

"You mean like playing Lord of the Rings with Eowyn over there?" Stark asked, jerking a thumb in Natasha's direction. "Have fun with that, Legolas."

Clint stiffened. Stark always joked around, but his tone usually had a lightness to it. This comment lacked that element.

Natasha got to her feet and crossed her arms, positioning herself next to her partner. "I think we will."

She purposely left the sentence open for Clint to finish the gibe. "Meanwhile, you can play Dr. Frankenstein with a new suit of armor."

"At least my work is productive," Stark snapped, eyes taking on a blue tinge as he stood up.

Clint would have found that peculiar if he hadn't been caught up in the brewing argument. "And ours isn't? Have you even trained one day in your life?"

"That's enough," Steve broke in, rising to his feet.

"Stay out of this, Capsicle," Stark ordered.

"There is no need for such ill conversing, my friends," Thor insisted as he, too, got up.

The only one still seated was Banner and he looked like he wanted to stay out of it.

"Stop talking like that." Stark rolled his eyes. "God, Thor. You sound like Shakespeare."

"And your speech pattern is perfect?" Natasha quipped.

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"It means you're an insensitive son of a-"

"Stop it," Steve demanded, voice firm. "Everyone take a step back."

"You're one to talk." Stark snorted disdainfully. "Is what you said to me on the Helicarrier what you call 'stepping back?' Because if so I think you need a dictionary."

"Shut up, Stark," Clint snapped. Insulting _him _was one matter. Insulting Cap was another.

"Like you?" Stark shot back. "You never shut up, Barton. All you ever do is crack wise and put people down."

"Takes one to know one!" Clint hadn't realized he'd started shouting.

By now, most of the other customers had left in apprehension, none of them wanting to get into the Avengers' fight.

"Listen," Banner said softly. "Let's all just take a deep breath. There's no reason to be so mad."

Stark barked a laugh. "You have no say in this. You want to see mad? Look in the mirror the next time you go Hulk."

Bruce looked hurt as he stared at Tony, shocked.

"You are so full of it!" Clint yelled. "What gives you the right to offend your best friend like that?"

He clenched his fists and released the pressure in a cycle. His jaw hurt from gritting his teeth so had.

He calmed down ever so slightly when Nat rested a comforting hand on his arm.

"Maybe if you'd kept your trap shut I wouldn't have to," Stark retorted. No one apprehended how more and more blue crept into his brown eyes. They were all too involved.

"I don't have to stand here and take this." Clint glared. "But if you want to see a jerk try looking at yourself."

He whirled sharply on his heal and strode out of the restaurant at the fastest pace he could manage.

Natasha fell into step with him, keeping quiet for the sole reason of letting him talk when he wanted to.

Clint's heart swelled with gratitude. She always knew what to say (or not say in this case) to make him feel better.

"What happened back there?" he finally asked, genuinely bemused. "One minute we're all silent. The next we're shouting at each other like we're on a family sitcom."

Nat nodded, tilting her head. "I think we're all stressed out. Stark more than others."

"Still. That doesn't give him a right to put us all down like that," Clint protested.

He knew about the Chitauri portal and the nuclear bomb. Not that he'd been there (he'd actually been momentarily unconscious on hundreds of pieces of glass), but Cap had filled him in.

"I know," Nat soothed in that short way of hers.

Clint sighed, running a hand through his spiky brownish-blonde hair. What he really wanted to do was give Stark a piece of his mind.

"Clint," Natasha reprimanded, reading his mind. "That won't solve anything. Besides, I already have dibs on socking it to him."

The archer laughed. _That _was the Natasha he knew and loved.

"Come on," she pressed, leading him back to Stark Tower. "Let's go train. To heck with Stark. Playing Lord of the Rings should be considered a compliment."

Clint smirked. Sometimes he thought Nat was the only one who understood him. "You're on."

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Tony stood in the bathroom in his room, leaning over the sink. Water dripped from various strands of his hair. He'd run some on his hands and splashed his face, trying to snap himself out of it. What was wrong with him? His mind flashed back to right before he'd lost it. He thought he remembered a small voice in his mind.

_"Barton shouldn't be allowed to talk to you like that. He needs to be taken down a notch," _it had said. Or something like that anyway.

Tony peered into the mirror. The blue flecks had returned, but this time there were more.

"J.A.R.V.I.S, are you seeing this?"

_"Seeing what, sir?"_

"My eyes. Why are they somewhat blue?"

_"I don't know, sir. Are you sure you're not wearing colored contacts?"_

"I think I'd remember putting them in. But you see it, right? I'm not going completely mental?"

_"Yes. Although, I may not have noticed if you hadn't pointed it out."_

A knock came at the door. "Tony? Are you in there?"

Tony grabbed the towel and wiped his face before unlocking the door and sticking his head out. "Hey, Pepper. What's up?"

"I was about to ask you the same thing," she answered before pausing, immediately finding the change. "Honey, what's wrong with your eyes?"

Tony sighed and rubbed his temples with both hands. "I don't know. There's something off about me, Pep."

She looked at him with concern, raising a delicate hand to cradle his cheek. "Tell me."

So he did. He told her about breakfast that morning and he told her about the fight at Shawarma.

"Sweetheart," Pepper chided softly. "I wouldn't be too worried. Everyone gets tense every once in a while."

Tony wanted to protest. Wanted to say that this was different, but maybe his girlfriend had a point. He'd been feeling frazzled since the Chitauri invasion. Maybe he should just blame it on that.

"Why don't you get some rest," Pepper suggested, taking his hand and leading him over to their bed. "You haven't gotten much in ages."

"But it's the middle of the day!" Tony complained even as she pushed him down onto the mattress and sat beside him.

"Lay your head down," she ordered, patting her legs.

Tony reluctantly obliged, slowly lowering his head to rest on her lap.

Pepper began to gently run her fingers through his hair, humming a wordless lullaby. It had almost become their ritual at bedtime. She'd hum or sing him to sleep every night. It was the only thing that helped.

Tony felt his eyes begin to droop. Maybe he'd rest for a few minutes. Just a few...

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**I'd love reviews on this chapter, too. Thanks for reading!**


	3. Chapter 3

**Hey, everyone! Sorry it took me longer to update. I was uber busy over the weekend.**

**So, this next chapter didn't come out like I thought it would, but I hope you still enjoy it.**

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Chapter 3

"Why would he say all that to us?" Banner said angrily, pacing furiously across the common room while the others watched from the couches.

"Do I truly sound like this...Shakespeare?" Thor questioned with an uncertain frown.

Steve was personally steaming inside. Stark shouldn't have snapped at them all like that. Except there was on thing that he couldn't blame Tony for.

_"Is what you said to me on the Helicarrier what you call 'stepping back?' Because if so, I think you need a dictionary."_

Cap inwardly cringed. Stark had a point. He wasn't mad at the billionaire for what he'd said to _him. _He was mad at Tony for what he said to the _others._

"You do talk old-fashioned, Thor," Clint told the thunder god, finishing it with an, "Ow!" when Natasha punched him.

"What Hawkeye _means _to say is you talk a little different, but that's the way we like it," she said with a pointed glare at her partner.

"Yeah," Barton muttered, massaging his arm. "What she said."

Thor smiled and nodded in satisfaction.

Banner, however, was still worked up. His breathing was ragged and his brown eyes had a green hint to them.

"Dr. Banner," Steve said evenly. "You need to calm down."

"Calm down? Calm down?!" Bruce barked, his muscles flexing. "Are none of you upset over what Tony said to us?"

"We are," Natasha answered.

"We just don't turn into an enormous green rage monster when we're angry," Barton piped up, earning himself another slap from Nat.

As it turned out, Banner didn't lose control just then because the very person that had them all so on edge walked through the door.

"Hey, guys," Stark said hesitantly. "How's it going?"

"You have some nerve, Tin Man," Barton spat, eyes dancing with fury.

"If you'd give me a minute to explain-"

"You shouldn't have to explain," Natasha shot back. "You said what you said. We get it."

All of them had turned their backs to the thing that would soon threaten their lives. All of them had forgotten about the Hulk.

"Okay, but listen," Tony insisted. "That wasn't me! I think-"

"Wasn't you!" Bruce yelled, his voice now that of the Other Guy's.

For the first time in his life, Stark looked terrified. "Bruce, relax. You're-"

The attempt at reassurance was lost as Banner slowly began to grow, his skin turning green.

"Battle stations!" Cap ordered as he darted to the other room to grab his shield. "Green 32. Go!"

The roar of the Hulk could be heard through several floors of the Tower.

Widow grabbed her guns from their holsters and Hawk swung his ever present bow off his shoulder, notching an arrow. Thor stretched his arm out to summon his hammer and Iron Man took seconds to assemble.

It was disappointing, really, all the times the Avengers (save Banner) had trained for a moment like this. They'd spent countless hours running through different scenarios.

"Stark!"

Steve froze for a second when the Hulk shouted the single word. It was impossible to tell what Tony was thinking behind the helmet, but the expression couldn't be good.

"Get Stark!"

"He's after Iron Man," Cap informed the others.

They nodded their understanding. Maybe they weren't on even terms with their teammate, but a friend was a friend. They'd protect him. Whatever the cost.

"You must flee, Man of Iron," Thor rumbled, calling down lightning to strike the Hulk.

"Fat chance," Tony snapped back, charging up his repulsors to take a shot. "I'm with you one hundred percent."

Steve glanced down at the floor when the cracking sound started. The tile was breaking underneath the strain of the Hulk pounding it mercilessly with his fists.

"Thor! Stark!" he yelled, waiting for their heads to whip around toward him before continuing. "The floor is unstable. Get beneath us and fix it."

They both nodded sharply and took off in the blink of an eye.

Cap just hoped the three remaining Avengers could hold off the Hulk long enough for them to come out of this alive.

* * *

"We have to stabilize the ceiling," Tony reiterated to Thor after they'd gone below. "If it falls we all die."

"That is certainly a pleasant thought," Thor mused.

"Isn't it? Okay, the place that's sagging the most is right there." Tony pointed to the spot five yards to the right of the center.

Thor started toward the indicated location.

"Wait a minute, Point Break," Tony stopped him, holding up an armor clad hand.

A look of betrayal flashed across Thor's face. "Our friends require our assistance. We cannot stand by while they suffer."

"What? No! That's not what I was implying!"

"Then what is it?"

"There are going to be other places that need support. I say we find beams or another form of a brace to stop any spots that might start crumbling."

"Very clever. What do you suggest?"

Tony tapped his fingers against his leg, the clinking sound of gold titanium alloy helping him think.

As it was, they'd taken too long trying to find said supports.

"Thor, it's caving in. Get under there. I'll be right back."

Thor obeyed and braced himself beneath the weak spot, barely able to keep it intact.

Tony would have come back immediately after locating the necessary tools, but that voice spoke in his mind again.

_"You're going to save them? What if they don't need to be saved?"_

He frowned. "What do you mean?"

_"What if this is all an elaborate ruse to get you killed? You know the Hulk is capable of penetrating your armor."_

"They would never do that to me. They're my teammates."

_"Are they? I thought you were just a consultant."_

Tony froze. Yes, Fury had originally written him down as ineligible for the Avengers, but that had changed. Hadn't it?

_"Oh, sure. You saved Manhattan. But you think they accept you? Captain America said you weren't a hero. Black Widow was the one that didn't recommend you for the Avengers. They don't appreciate you, Anthony. They would love to see you crash and burn."_

"Shut up!" Tony yelled at the voice as he shook his head violently and began to make his way back to Thor.

_"Just think about it. You'll always have a place with me."_

The sudden quiet in his mind caused Tony to falter right in the doorway.

Thor looked up and saw him standing there. "Make haste, Man of Iron. I cannot hold it much longer."

Tony shook his head again to clear it and rushed over to Thor, placing the long metal beam between the ceiling and the floor.

"It has fallen silent up above," Thor informed him. "I believe the Hulk has been taken care of."

The pair hurried up the stairs and into the previous room. Banner was himself once again (and in clothes, I might add). He was apologizing profusely as the others reassured him that it was all right.

"Is everyone well?" Thor inquired as he strode through the door, Tony right behind him.

"We're okay," Natasha answered. Whether or not she was talking to Thor or Banner was impossible to tell.

"I just got so upset you know?" Banner said, wringing his hands. "I didn't want this to happen."

"We know. It's fine," Cap insisted.

Tony, meanwhile, was off to the side, unsure of how to react. The sound of the others talking faded into the background as his mind wandered back to what the voice had said. It had a point. He _had _been a consultant to start with. He thought he'd finally found a place on the Avengers. That he had found a team. Maybe he was wrong.

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**I have a favor to ask you guys. **

**I'm going to have Tony hurt one of his teammates in one of the upcoming chapters. Who do you think it should be? ****Except Thor. It's not possible to hurt the thunder god. Thanks!**


	4. Chapter 4

**Next chapter! I actually had a blast writing the first part. Don't sue me if I got some quotes wrong, okay? Nobody's perfect.**

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Chapter 4

_"Please tell me you're here to appeal to my humanity," he says, spreading his arms in a mock plea._

_ I hesitate. "Actually, I'm planning to threaten you."_

_ He's on the brink of amused laughter. "You should have left your armor on for that."_

_ I nod, starting toward the bar. "Yeah. It's seen a bit of mileage. And you've got your," I pause, waving a hand aimlessly, "Glowstick of Destiny. Would you like a drink?"_

_ He shakes his head, that smile remaining in place. "Stalling me won't change anything."_

_ "No, no. Threatening," I correct, turning my back to him. "No drink. You sure? I'm having one."_

_ He turns around to look out the window. "The Chitauri are coming. Nothing will change that. What have I to fear?"_

_ "The Avengers."_

_ He looks at me almost bemused._

_ "It's what we call ourselves," I explain. "Earth's-mightiest-heroes-type-thing."_

_ Recognition dawns in his eyes. "Yes. I've met them."_

_ I let out a short laugh. "Yeah. It took us a while to get any traction, I'll give you that one, but let's do a headcount here. Your brother, the demigod."_

_ He growls and looks away as I slowly begin to put the reader bracelets on. I have a hunch I'll be needing them._

_ "A super soldier legend, who, kind of lives up to the legend. A man with breathtaking anger management issues. A couple of master assassins. And you, big fella." I point at him. "You've managed to tick off ever single one of them."_

_ He half smiles. "That was the plan."_

_ I grab my drink and shake my head, starting over to him. "Not a great plan. When they come, and they will, they'll come for you."_

_ "I have an army," he says without concern._

_ "We have a Hulk," I say with feeling._

_ He tilts his head slightly. "I thought the beast had wandered off."_

_ I shake my head again. "You're missing the point. There is no throne, no version of this where you come out on top. So maybe your army comes, and maybe it's too much for us, but it's all on you. Because if we can't protect the earth you can be dang well sure we'll avenge it." I finish my speech with a sip of my drink._

_ "How will your friends have time for me?" he starts, closing the space between us. "When they're so busy fighting you?"_

_ He places the scepter on my chest and I'm scared for all of half a second before realizing it doesn't affect me._

_ He frowns, trying again. "This usually works."_

_ "Yeah, well. Performance issues," I say without surprise. "One out of five."_

_ He grabs me by the neck and throws me to the side._

_ I struggle to rise. "J.A.R.V.I.S...anytime now."_

_ He takes hold of me again. "You will all fall before me."_

_ "Deploy."_

_ He hurls me toward the window and I know what's coming. "Deploy!"_

Tony woke up with a strangled gasp as he rolled off the bed, landing with a _thud _on the floor. He despised that dream. No matter how many times he had it, it still terrified him. Plus, Pepper wasn't there to comfort him that night. She'd gone on a business trip for Stark Industries.

He heard a soft knock on the door and got to his feet, brushing himself off before opening it to find Steve on the other side.

"What are you doing here, Rogers?" Tony asked at the same time Steve questioned, "Is everything all right, Stark?"

Tony arched an eyebrow and waved his hand in a, "Be my guest," gesture.

"I heard a noise and I thought I'd come check to see if you were okay," Cap explained, looking expectant.

"I'm fine," Tony answered curtly, smoothing down his disheveled, sweat soaked hair absentmindedly. "Goodnight!"

He slammed the door in Steve's face before the man could protest and turned around to take the back way to the kitchen. He didn't want to have to tell Cap about his dream and, frankly, he didn't think Spangles would want to listen.

Now, Tony liked to consider himself as a person that wasn't easily taken aback, but even he was shocked to find none other than Loki sitting at the kitchen table.

"What...what the heck are you doing here?"

"It's a pleasure to see you, too, Anthony."

Tony could only stare as Loki tapped his fingers on the cool marble counter. How was this possible? He had suspected Loki might be the voice in his head, but he hadn't expected the trickster god himself to show up in the Tower.

"Stop gaping and have a seat," Loki ordered with a roll of his eyes.

Tony cautiously slid onto the stool across from him, his danger radar (drilled into him by Capsicle's training routines) going crazy. He didn't trust this guy. Not for a second.

"How are you even here? I thought you were locked up in Asgard."

"Oh, I am." At Tony's confused look he said, "I'm sure you've heard of my illusions."

"So you're just an image." Tony nodded leisurely. "That means you won't mind if I do this."

Loki flinched when the harsh slap connected with his cheek.

Tony smirked. "I guess you're not so miraculous after all."

The ever present calm expression remained (it drove Tony nuts, by the way). "Of course I am. My magic grows stronger every day. Hence this illusion being solid."

Tony tried not to look impressed. "You never told me what you're doing here."

"Take a wild guess," Loki returned, studying his nails. "I've been here longer than you think."

"You're the voice in my head," Tony shot back immediately, the solution clicking into his brain like a light bulb turning on. "You're the one who's been making me act different."

Loki chuckled. "Oh, no, my dear Anthony. I've simply been encouraging the feelings you already have."

Tony paused, mind whirling with the new information. That meant everything he'd said to his friends was already there. The insults he'd tossed at the Avengers were his. Loki just made him say them.

"Now you're catching on. Well done, Anthony." Loki clapped.

"Shut up, Reindeer Games," Tony snapped.

"Tell me. Who would you rather injure against your will?"

"What are you talking about?"

"Well, I have control over you," Loki stated slowly as if he was talking to a toddler. "So I can make you do whatever my heart desires."

Tony frowned, his eyes narrowing. "If you lay a finger on-"

"But it won't be me doing the damage." Loki smiled. "It will be you."

"I-" Tony stopped as a voice interrupted him.

"Stark, we need to talk."

Loki disappeared in a flash of blue light just before Steve walked into the room.

"What do you want now?" Tony all but moaned, rubbing his exhausted eyes. He was still focused on his conversation with Loki and he only heard the last half of Steve's statement.

"-acting strange lately."

"You're usually weird, Capsicle." Tony smirked. "Don't be so hard on yourself."

Steve sighed, obviously trying to keep his temper in check. "I'm not talking about me. I'm talking about you."

Tony bit his lip as he inwardly battled himself. Should he tell Cap about Loki? A part of him wanted to say it and get it over with. But another part of him (probably the section Loki induced) refused.

"How are you at hypothetical questions?" Tony asked suddenly, lacing his fingers and resting them on the table.

Cap's eyebrows shot up in something like astonishment as he positioned himself on the very stool Loki had been sitting on. It was his way of inviting Tony to continue.

"If you had someone in your head. Someone in control of your actions. And say you were about to be forced to do something awful. What would you do?"

"Are you sure this is hypothetical?" Steve asked skeptically.

"Totally," Tony answered quickly. "I'm just trying to figure out what Barton was going through."

Steve was about to reply when a voice spoke from the door.

"I can tell you what it was like," Clint said darkly, arms crossed as he leaned against the doorframe. "It was horrific. I couldn't control what I was doing. I basically had to watch me be someone I'm not."

Tony fell silent, hiding the fear that kept trying to creep into his eyes. From what he could deduce, it wasn't possible to keep himself from obeying Loki's orders. And that meant that sometime very soon, one of the Avengers was going to be hurt by his hand. There had to be a way to stop it. Unfortunately, Tony knew nothing about cognitive recalibration (or being hit really hard on the head).

"Stark!"

Tony blinked, dragged from his thoughts by Rogers and Barton speaking the name in unison. Steve looked concerned while Clint just looked annoyed.

"Sorry. Were you talking to me?"

"Yeah. We were wondering why you cared so much about me all of a sudden," Barton said, a sarcastic twist to his words.

"I was just...curious is all," Tony explained with a shrug. "Anyway. I'm going to bed."

He could hear Barton and Cap chatting (most likely about him) as he left. Little did they know that one of them wouldn't be seeing Tony for days while the other...well, the other would never see it coming.

* * *

**I'd love to know what you think about this one. Sorry the big dramatic scene hasn't come yet. I'm thinking next chapter.**


	5. Chapter 5

**Drum roll, please! I present to you, the dramatic scene. Finally, right? I hope you guys like it because I'm honestly not too sure.**

**Thanks to all that reviewed and followed. I love you guys.**

* * *

Chapter 5

Natasha wasn't one to feel emotion. _Any _emotion. But ever since she'd joined up with the Avengers that had all changed. She found herself being worried, concerned, and even scared. Right now, however, her feeling could only be described as curious.

"Where is everyone?" she asked Cap as she slipped into the common room. He was the first one she'd seen all morning.

Steve glanced up from the newspaper he was reading. Stark was constantly teasing him for getting his news the "old-fashioned" way.

"Barton and Banner went out for pop-tarts. Thor ate them all before his trip to Asgard. Stark is still in bed," he rattled off.

Natasha frowned. "Are you sure about that?"

"Yes. I was there when Thor was feasting."

"No. About Stark."

Steve arched an eyebrow. "Of course. I talked to him at three this morning and he went back to bed. Why? Is he not there?"

See, this was one of the rare moments where Natasha was afraid. Normally the disappearing inventor wouldn't be a problem, but things were so different now. Tony had been...not himself recently. For all they knew, he could be off terrorizing bartenders for being slow.

Finally, she shook her head and said, "No. I checked when I walked by. His door was wide open."

"Did you check the workshop?" Steve asked, setting the newspaper aside as he moved to sit on the edge of the couch.

Natasha nodded and perched on the armrest. "He wasn't there either."

Cap crossed his arms and glared down at the floor as if the carpet could give him an answer. "Maybe he went out for a flight."

Natasha shook her head again. "I looked into that, too. All of his armor is still there."

"Have you checked the training room?"

She actually laughed out loud. "Tony Stark? Training? Good one, Cap."

"So you didn't look there," Steve said, almost in a scolding manner.

The way she looked down at her lap was answer enough. If they got to the training room and Stark was there? Well, let's just say the Black Widow would learn what it was like to be embarrassed. She would never hear the end of it from Clint.

The two headed down one flight of stairs and jogged into the room, stopping short when they saw they weren't alone.

Stark was there after all. He was working the punching bag. The moves were recognizable as Steve's since he was the one who was always teaching.

Natasha didn't know where the feeling of apprehension was coming from. Maybe it was because Stark _never _trained except for the weekly sessions. Or maybe it was the way his eyes were a bright blue color. She pushed it aside as being contacts or the lighting in the room.

"Stark?" Cap began.

The man stopped instantly, turning to face them. A look of utter disgust was set in his features. "What do you want?"

Natasha and Steve exchanged glances at the tone of voice, each conveying that they wanted the other to speak.

"We were wondering if you were..." Steve paused, not wanting to use the wrong word and offend Stark further.

"Feeling okay," Natasha finished, trying to keep her face expressionless.

"I feel perfectly fine." Stark plastered on a fake (and extremely unnerving) grin. "Why do you ask?"

"Because..." Cap stopped again.

Natasha rolled her eyes. "Because we're concerned about you."

"Oh, that's right. I've been acting 'strange.'" Tony bent his fingers in air quotes. "Well, guess what? Maybe I like it better this way! And why would you care, Natasha? Or is it Natalie? Lying is a bad habit, Miss Romanoff. Or Rushman. I don't even know! Is there anything definite about you?"

Natasha was starting to become anxious. She knew Stark held a small grudge against her for infiltrating Stark Industries masqueraded as Natalie Rushman, but she didn't like how out of control he seemed to be getting over it.

"Tony," Steve cut into his tirade, the use of the first name a pointless effort to calm the man down.

"Steve," Tony shot back, mimicking Cap's tone of voice. "You like to think of yourself as so high and mighty. 'I'm the great Captain America and I'm going to give orders and be all leaderly and stuff.' Some leader you are.

"You once said, and I quote, 'You're not the guy to make the sacrifice play. To lie down on the wire and let the other guy crawl over you. You may not be a threat, but you'd better stop pretending to be a hero.' What a self esteem booster. Well done, Rogers."

Steve took a step back, shocked. He'd regretted saying that to Stark, but the man hadn't seemed hurt at the time. Except now it proved that he'd been sitting on that statement for a while.

"I'm sorry, Tony," Steve apologized, pouring sincerity into it. "I didn't know."

"Of course you didn't!" Stark snapped, yelling by now. "No one ever bothers to think about _my _feelings. They're always too wrapped up in their own little worlds. I'm the one constant. The one you can count on to keep his problems to himself. What if I'm having major life issues?"

"Tony, it's okay," Natasha reassured, trying her hardest to be soothing.

"No, it's not. But it doesn't matter anymore. I've found someone who actually cares about me."

"Who?" Cap asked, startled.

"Me," Loki answered as he appeared out of nowhere.

Natasha had her guns out in seconds and Steve was already in a defensive position.

"Yes. Anthony and I had such a lovely chat last night after we went back to his room."

"He actually listened to me. Unlike some people." Stark crossed his arms, a defiant look in his blue eyes.

"Cap, he's under Loki's control," Natasha muttered.

He nodded, taking the different color into account. "I see it. How could we have been so stupid?"

Loki applauded them. "Bravo! You finally figured it out. Took you long enough. I guess you're not as smart as you like to think."

Stark and Loki laughed in unison and it would be an understatement to say that struck fear in their hearts.

"Tony, you have to snap out of it," Steve urged. "We're your friends."

"I don't make friends." Stark cocked his head in mock confusion. "I thought you knew that."

Natasha knew that wasn't true. She knew that it was just Loki talking. Because she also knew that Tony thought of them as more than teammates. She'd overheard him talking to Pepper multiple times.

"How do you want me to take care of them?" Stark asked Loki.

The trickster seemed to ponder for a moment. "Don't kill them. Near fatal wounds would be nice. Possibly a coma for one or both of them."

"No!" Cap insisted. "You wouldn't do that. You're stronger than this."

"I think you mean I'm stronger than you," Tony corrected as he raised his arms.

Only then did Natasha see the identical bracelets on each of his wrists. This was going to be difficult.

"He's summoning his armor," she informed Steve.

He nodded and grabbed his shield where he'd left it leaning against the wall from his last session.

"Resistance is futile," Stark said, his voice now robotic from the effects of his helmet. "You can't win."

"We'll see about that," Natasha returned coolly.

She raised her guns in the blink of an eye and fired off a couple rounds. The bullets did nothing to the armor and merely bounced off.

Iron Man laughed, a deep resounding chuckle that sent shivers down her spine. She could barely handle regular Tony Stark. What was she going to do with this evil one?

"I don't want to do this," Steve said even as he reeled back and threw his shield.

Iron Man ducked and rolled to the side in a move that Cap had taught him. "I know all your tricks, old man. Being a talented hacker has its perks."

"I haven't told S.H.I.E.L.D. everything," Steve shot back, reaching up to catch his shield when it ricocheted off the wall and back to him.

"You didn't have to." Iron Man raised his repulsors. "I watched you and made up some new ones that I'm sure you'll enjoy."

"Enjoy this!" Natasha hissed as she leapt onto his back, straddling him like she had that Chitauri vehicle during the battle of New York. It felt like that had been months ago.

She wrapped her arms around his neck in a desperate attempt to rip his helmet off.

Iron Man just laughed, catching her off guard long enough to reach back and throw her against the wall. "Is that all you've got?"

Natasha tried to get to her feet (and failed), disoriented and dizzy. "Not even close."

"Too bad. It's going to be all you can manage for today I'm afraid," he said with mock disappointment as he raised his repulsors once again. "Say goodnight, Black Widow."

She lifted her arms to cover her face, cringing as she prepared for the inevitable pain. To her surprise, it didn't come. The only sound was a soft grunt and then a _thud._

Natasha lowered her arms to find Cap lying motionless on the ground in front of her.

"Steve!" she cried, crouching next to him, frantically checking for a pulse. She breathed a sigh of relief when she found one.

"What did you do to him?"

Iron Man chuckled again. "How sweet. The infamous Black Widow cares about someone else!"

"Shut up, Stark," she growled, whipping out her gun again and firing. The bullets still rebounded harmlessly.

"I've lost count of how many times I've heard that phrase in my lifetime," he said darkly.

Natasha froze at the hidden distress in his voice. She hadn't really thought about it before, but they _did _say that to Tony frequently.

_"Hey, look. Widow and Hawk sitting in a tree. Literally!"_

_ "Shut up, Stark."_

_ "What's that? An old '40s jacket? I was right. It's hideous. I'll have to get Banner to pay up."_

_ "Shut up, Stark."_

_ "Relax, man. We don't want you Hulking out like last time. I still have robots that need fixing."_

_ "Shut up, Tony."_

It almost made Natasha feel sorry for him. But not sorry enough to go easy on him. Lost in her thoughts, she'd almost allowed herself to take a repulsor blast to the head.

"Stop this, Romanoff. There's no hope for you."

"I wouldn't bet on it."

A single arrow flew from the shadows and struck Iron Man in the back, sticking like a leech. Electricity arced from the tip and he cried out, doubling over in pain. He tried to right himself, to continue the butt whooping, but the agony was apparently too much.

"This isn't over," he growled, ripping the arrow off and blasting through the wall, leaving a reasonably sized gap behind.

"What the heck was that about?" Clint questioned, stepping into the light. "Please tell me there's a good reason for me doing that."

Natasha ignored him, moving to crouch next to Steve again. "He needs medical attention."

Hawkeye nodded sharply. "Banner's already on his way up."

This was another one of those times where Natasha felt emotion. She wasn't supposed to. Things like that could get her compromised. But she couldn't quell the fear for Cap's life. He was their leader and friend. Without him they would be lost. She just hoped Stark had listened to Loki's order not to kill.

* * *

**Phew. I hope you liked it because it took me ages to write it and then type it up. Thanks for reading and reviews are always welcome. ;)**


	6. Chapter 6

**Sorry it took me a bit longer, guys. I got really busy.**

**Without further ado, I bring you: Chapter 6! There's some Clintasha (they're adorable) and I hope you like it.**

* * *

Chapter 6

Tony, the _real _Tony, was distraught. He'd just hurt the leader of the Avengers. It was like he was trapped in a cage at the back of his mind. A clear cage so that he could watch himself do things he would never dream of doing. He'd been screaming at the top of his lungs, all but begging (he wasn't too great at that) Loki to have mercy, but to no avail.

"Oh, very well done, Anthony," Loki praised from where he sat in his cell in Asgard. He'd cast a simple spell to have Tony appear as an image in front of him. "Wasn't that fun?"

"Most fun I've had in ages," Tony answered sincerely.

_There was supposed to be a sarcastic tone to those words, _good Tony thought.

"Wonderful! I was hoping you'd say so. How'd you like to do it again?"

"I'd love that."

"Excellent! Here's what you're going to do..."

* * *

Clint was minding his own business (maybe that was inaccurate considering he was spying on the others through the air vents).

He'd been trying not to freak out ever since Cap had been injured. At first his mindset was, _Okay, things are fine. Steve's pulled through every obstacle that's been hurled at him. The guy was a freaking icicle for seventy years, for God's sake! I think he can survive a repulsor blast._

This way of thinking had changed, however, when Banner had told him that Cap was in a deep coma that had nothing to do with ice. _That _was about the time when Clint had retreated to the solace of the air ducts. He was worried about Natasha, too. She'd fallen silent (well, more than normal) after the news. Hence Clint heading to her room at that exact moment.

"Knock knock," he said, sticking his head through the A/C vent.

She didn't startle and instead looked up at him, arching an eyebrow. "What the heck do you think you're doing?"

"Jeez, Tasha. I come to offer consolation and you bite my head off," he said indignantly, jumping down into the room and landing expertly on his feet.

"Sorry," she apologized, gathering her feet underneath her to sit cross-legged in the middle of her bed.

Clint waved her off and perched on the edge of the mattress, allowing genuine concern to show through. "Are you okay?"

Natasha shot him an inquiring look. "Yes. Why?"

"You seem more guarded than usual."

She sighed, resting an elbow on her knee and dropping her forehead into her hand. "I don't know what to think, Clint. The only reason Steve is hurt right now is because of me."

"Why would you think that?" he asked, astonished. Natasha was the strongest person he knew. Brave, too. How could it possibly be her fault?

She hesitated, those beautiful green eyes holding a conflicted darkness. "Stark knocked me off my feet. As I was struggling to get up he aimed, but Cap took the hit for me."

Clint nodded once to show he understood. "That doesn't make it your fault, Nat."

"How do you gather?"

"The way I see it, it was Cap's choice to save you. He knew the risks."

"I know, but...what if he never wakes up? He's our leader, Clint."

As far back as Clint could remember he'd never seen Natasha cry, or even come close to it. Now she was sitting two feet away from him and her eyes seemed sort of misty. It gave him the sudden urge to wrap her in a soothing embrace, but he didn't want to get himself killed (which would probably happen if you tried to hug the Black Widow).

"We'll be all right, Tasha," he said quietly. "You'll see."

Natasha turned away, but not before Clint saw a single tear roll down her cheek.

He didn't fight the urge this time and gathered her in a comforting embrace, running his hand along her short red hair.

She stiffened for a moment and Clint thought he'd made a horrible mistake until she relaxed, leaning against him, her head resting on his shoulder.

They sat in silence for several minutes just enjoying the other's company. They probably would have stayed like that for a while longer had J.A.R.V.I.S. not alerted them.

_"I'm sorry to interrupt, Agents Barton and Romanoff, but Dr. Banner has requested your presence in the common room."_

Natasha looked up and Clint's equally worried eyes met hers as they got to their feet, hurrying toward the living room.

* * *

Natasha almost felt ashamed for letting her emotions show like they had. Although, if she'd had to break down around someone she was glad it was Clint.

He must have read her mind because he took her hand in his and gave it a reassuring squeeze.

She smiled ever so slightly up at him, grateful he hadn't released the hold yet.

"What's the problem, Banner?" Clint asked as they entered the room together, their joined hands swinging between them. "Is it Cap?"

Bruce shook his head, too distracted to notice the budding romance. "No, Steve's the same. Take a look at this."

The TV was on and tuned to the News. Natasha and Clint sat down next to each other on the couch to watch.

_"In a special edition today we bring you the breaking story of one of our favorite superheroes gone rogue. Yes, rogue. As in evil."_

Their gazes met and they said the same word in unison. "Stark."

_"Iron Man appears to be wreaking havoc down on Sixth. It leaves us questioning the Avengers. Do they all have the sudden urge to cause mischief, or is something bigger at play? Stay tuned for more."_

None of the three were paying much attention to the reporter. They were too busy watching Iron Man exploding cars and wrecking buildings.

"We need to get down there," Natasha said, both her and Clint getting up.

"What about Steve?" Bruce questioned doubtfully. "And Thor? Neither of them are...available."

"We'll have to make due without them," Clint decided, his voice firm.

Natasha had to agree. Yes, it would be difficult. Captain America was the leader and Iron Man had always been the unofficial second-in-command. Thor was also gone as he was back in Asgard. None of them were capable of lending aid, but that wasn't going to stop what was left of the Avengers from taking a stand.

Bruce sighed with reluctance and got to his feet. "I suppose the Hulk may come in handy."

"Don't go Hulk unless it's absolutely necessary," Natasha ordered.

"Believe me. I wasn't planning to."

"You ready for this?" Clint asked, gazing down at her with the familiar determination that accompanied missions.

She offered a resolute look of her own. "Bring it on."

* * *

When Clint landed the quinjet several yards away from the destruction his eyes widened in disbelief. The picture on the television didn't do the damage justice. Cars were smoking. Half a dozen fire hydrants were spraying water everywhere. A diner had caved in on top of itself. There were frightened civilians screaming and running rampant all over the place.

With orders to Banner to stay put, Hawkeye and Black Widow exited the jet, weapons at the ready.

Clint whistled. "This is definitely worse than it looked."

"You're telling me," Natasha returned.

"Looks who's here! It's the Avengers!" Stark called, a sneer evident in his voice as he landed near them. "Or two-thirds of them that is."

"Shut up, Stark," Clint snapped, notching an electricity arrow and letting it fly.

"Stop saying that!" he shouted in frustration, grabbing the arrow before it hit him and tossing it aside.

"He hates that phrase," Natasha muttered.

"Oh, ya think?" Clint asked sarcastically. "That would have been nice to know _before I said it!_"

"Tell me. How is Rogers doing?" Stark asked with mock interest. "Is he sleeping well?"

Clint hissed in a breath through clenched teeth. "Not a good idea, Shellhead. Now you've made her angry."

Natasha was, indeed, seething. Her eyes narrowed in barely masked rage. "You're going to regret that, Stark."

"Ooh, I'm shaking in my iron boots."

She managed to contain an outraged shriek as she launched herself at Iron Man, sweeping a leg beneath him in an attempt at taking out his equilibrium.

He anticipated the attack and leapt over her leg, aiming a repulsor at her head. "Here we are again. Make a move and you're history."

"I'll take my chances." Natasha smirked.

While Stark was distracted, Clint had snuck a silent demand to Banner through their comm unit. The furious roar of the Hulk could be heard seconds later.

"Shoot," Stark cursed, lowering his hand.

He was about to take off when a large green hand grabbed his ankle, dragging him back down to the ground.

Clint allowed himself to snicker. He couldn't see Stark's expression, but he could assume the man was secretly terrified.

"Sock it to him, Hulk!" Natasha actually laughed. Payback tasted sweet.

The Hulk imitated the move he'd used on Loki. Otherwise known as the "hit-him-against-the-ground-and-beat-the-snot-out-of-him-until-he's-whimpering" attack.

Clint's eyebrows shot up as he watched. God, that had to hurt. Maybe it would knock Loki out of Stark. He certainly hoped so.

When Hulk finally slowed down, the Iron Man armor was missing paint in various places and there were dozens of dents all over it.

"Puny Tin Man," the Hulk grunted, lugging the now unconscious Tony Stark back to the quinjet.

* * *

**I'm trying to decide if I want to drag this out and still have Tony under Loki's control or not. Let me know what you think. Thanks!**


	7. Chapter 7

**You know how you start writing with an idea and as you get going a totally different one takes place? That's what happened with this chapter. I hope you still like it.**

**Tony's back! Kind of. Ish. I'll just let the story explain for itself.**

* * *

Chapter 7

_"You pathetic excuse for a human!" he snaps at me, gaze furious._

_ I laugh. "That's the thing about us humans. We don't give up."_

_ "So I've heard," he growls, obviously frustrated. "You cannot go unpunished for this."_

_ "What are you going to do, Reindeer Games? Kick me off the sleigh pulling team?" I taunt, smirking._

_ "No, no. Something much more devastating. Can you feel the insanity beginning to course through you? Is your mental condition shattering?"_

_ Now that he mentions it, I can almost feel myself starting to lose it like I'm going crazy. What's he doing? God, I hate magic._

_ "This is my last gift to you, Anthony." He chuckles. "If I can't have your mind why should others?"_

_ No, this isn't possible! Against my will I'm being forced to lose my sanity. Before I can fight it I'm jolted awake._

* * *

Pepper was worried sick. She'd left on a short trip to D.C. and when she came back she found out her boyfriend had gone ballistic. What remained of the Avengers had attempted to explain what had happened in a believable manner. To be honest, Pepper wasn't surprised. She remembered the chat she'd had with Tony a few days ago. She recalled how his eyes had had blue flecks mixed in. It all made sense now. Loki had been controlling him ever since the Chitauri invasion. It made her shudder when she thought about what could have happened had the scepter not had delayed effects.

Now she was in charge of watching the two unconscious men (read: Tony and the Captain for she had been informed of his coma). Natasha, Clint, and Bruce had to go to the Helicarrier for a debriefing on what had occurred with Tony. It would be a lie to say Pepper wasn't worried. For all she knew, Tony hadn't been shocked to his senses by the Hulk (although, it was quite unlikely).

That's where she was now, periodically checking both men. It just so happened that she wasn't in Tony's room when he came to. When she _did _arrive she found him sitting up in bed, hugging his knees while rocking back and forth. His usually mischievous brown eyes (yes, they were back to normal) held a crazed gleam and blankness at the same time.

"Tony?" she began, rushing to his side. "Are you okay?"

"His touch was so cold," he mumbled to himself. "There was no feeling. Just evil. I couldn't fight."

Pepper didn't know exactly what he was talking about, but she could guess. "Tony, it's okay. It's over now."

When she reached out to rub his back soothingly he jerked away, fear and urgency in his eyes. "No, don't touch me! I'll hurt you."

Her heart twisted with sympathy. "No, you won't. He's gone."

Relief flooded Tony's expression even as remembrance entered his gaze. "I...Cap...those people...the city."

Pepper certainly wasn't prepared when he suddenly broke down crying, curling into himself. That didn't stop her, however, from moving toward him, wrapping her arms around him in a comforting embrace. "Shhh. It's all right, baby. Things are going to be fine."

His sobbing didn't quiet and she saw the toll Loki had taken on Tony's mind. She'd never seen her boyfriend shed a tear let alone _cry. _That had to mean something was dreadfully wrong. All she could do right now, though, was hold him and whisper sweet nothings in his ear until he cried himself to sleep in her arms. It pained her to see him like this. She'd always known that one day he would crack from the stress of his life, but not this soon.

* * *

_"Is that all you've got?" he sneers, a laugh on the edge of his tone._

_ She struggles to rise, but she's obviously too dizzy to do so. "Not even close."_

_ "Too bad. It's going to be all for today I'm afraid," he says, fake regret lacing his word as he raises a hand. "Say goodnight, Black Widow."_

_ I'm moving before I can hesitate, the only thought on my mind that of protecting my teammate. I hear the whirring of the repulsor and the explosion of the shot. My body registers pain everywhere even though I only got hit in the side. I collapse as the world goes dark._

Steve's eyes fluttered open and he slowly took in his surroundings before sitting up. He knew he was in his room at Stark Tower almost immediately because it had that "boring '40s feel" (Tony's words).

All the memories came rushing back and he swung his legs over the edge of the bed, rapidly getting to his feet. It was a different time of day so he knew it had to have been a few hours. He had to find the Avengers. They had to solve this Stark problem.

When he jogged into the common room, it was dark and quiet, indicating no one was there and hadn't been for a while.

Steve checked the kitchen next, but that was empty, too. He was starting to become anxious. What if he was too late? What if the others were being pulverized at this very moment?

"Captain?"

He all but jumped out of his skin when the woman's voice sounded behind him. Now, normally he couldn't be snuck up on, but Pepper was stealthier than most. Possibly because she had to literally walk on tiptoe whenever Stark was in a bad mood.

"Ms. Potts," he greeted. "Is everyone all right? Where are they?"

"They're fine," she said gently. "Clint, Bruce, and Natasha are on the Helicarrier at a debriefing. Tony's in his room."

Steve frowned in confusion. "He is? I thought Loki-"

"That's been taken care of," Pepper interrupted.

"But how..."

"You were in a coma for a little over a day, Captain."

He blinked, the only sign that he was shocked. It frightened him, in a way. The last time he'd been in a coma he'd woken up seventy years later. He _really _didn't want to repeat that incident.

"It's okay, Steve," Pepper assured. "The others were able to knock Loki out of Tony and you weren't out for all too long."

Amazing. It was like she could read his mind. Now he knew what Tony meant when he said it was impossible to keep secrets from Pepper.

"Thank you, Ms. Potts," he said with a polite nod. "How is Stark now?"

A flash of worry coursed through him when pain flickered in her eyes. "What is it? What's wrong?"

"It's..." Tears pooled and threatened to spill over, but she blinked them away. "He's not himself."

"Why not?" Steve returned, more concern igniting within.

"I'm not sure. I think Loki-" her voice broke and she cleared her throat. "Loki damaged his mind. He's not mentally stable."

"How so?"

"He's distraught over what he's done. He keeps muttering things about Loki. When he remembered what he did, he broke down sobbing."

This wasn't good. Understatement of the year, but it was true. One thing Steve had admired about Stark was his upbeat mindset and how tough he was. The man didn't seem fazed by anything. He'd come to joking about Shawarma after he nearly died, for heaven's sake! Now Pepper was telling Steve that he'd snapped and wasn't in his right mind. It was unsettling, to say the least. They had to do something.

"He has to realize it wasn't his fault," Steve emphasized.

Pepper laughed weakly. "That's Tony for you. He has blaming issues. He thinks that the safety of every human being is on his shoulders."

_Not unlike me, _Steve voiced in his mind. _Maybe Stark is more of a hero than I thought._

The musing sparked a pang of guilt inside him. Perhaps he'd been too hard on his comrade. If Tony was permanently...damaged...Steve would quite possibly never get to tell him that.

"I tried to reassure him," Pepper went on. "But I'm not sure he was even hearing me."

"Can I talk to him?" Steve asked. Not that it would do much good, but at least he could give it a try.

She smiled. "Of course. It might do him wonders to know that you're awake. He was horrified when he remembered what he'd done to you. You were the first person he mentioned."

Steve's eyebrows knit together in a contemplative frown. Tony actually...cared about him? From what he'd deduced over the past week, he'd figured Stark despised him. They hadn't exactly hit it off the first time they'd met. It just made him feel even moreguilty about what he'd said.

_"Big man in a suit of armor. Take that off and what are you?"_

_ "Genius, billionaire, playboy, philanthropist."_

_ "I know men with none of that worth ten of you. And I've seen the footage. The only one you truly fight for is yourself."_

Steve cringed at the memory. He had to say he was sorry, to tell Tony he was wrong. The apology was already running through his head as he went in search of the man.

* * *

**That was the unexpected turn. I was originally planning on something beside Tony going insane, but this happened anyway. Reviews always welcome.**


	8. Chapter 8

**The first part of this chapter is recap/Fury being a boss/Clint being amusing.**

**The second part is because I broship Steve and Tony hardcore. Hope you like it!**

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Chapter 8

Clint hated debriefings. Always had. It wasn't that Fury intimidated him (but he might have a little. What was with that one-eyed stare he had?). It was that he disliked sharing personal experiences. The Director really dug too deep. Plus, this time was different. He wasn't talking about one of his missions. He was talking about Stark.

"When did Loki have the ability to take Stark?" Fury asked, staring the three of them down.

Bruce gulped, trying not to seem uncomfortable (Clint thought he was failing, by the way). "That's just the thing. We don't know. We have no idea when he might have even _seen _Loki."

Clint had to agree. Although, it was possible that Stark had interacted with the god while he, Cap, and Nat were rushing to New York in their _very slow _quinjet.

"He did seem a tad shaken when I talked to him once we'd arrived to help," Natasha stated.

Clint arched an eyebrow. He hadn't noticed. That's why Tasha was the expert. But now that she mentioned it...maybe Stark had been a bit ruffled. "She might have a point, sir."

Fury frowned (scratch that. Clint wondered if the man ever smiled). "This was when he got ahead of you on your way to the portal, correct?"

The three nodded in unison, all of them eager to get done and head back to the Tower to their fallen teammates.

"But he didn't show the signs of change until very recently."

They nodded again. Clint thought Banner's head was going to pop off.

"What was the first show of uncharacteristic mannerisms?"

Clint shrugged. "I heard him yelling at Thor. Cap said it was over pop-tarts."

Which reminded him. He wanted to leave. What if Steve had come out of his coma? Had he mentioned how much he hated debriefings?

"Pop-tarts," Fury repeated, looking the closest he'd ever come to bemusement.

"And then he started a fight at Shawarma," Bruce piped up.

"What sort of fight?"

"A word one." Banner frowned at the recollection. "He insulted all of us. Sure, Tony's known to be rude, but not like that."

"That's two strikes. Anything else?" Fury queried. His tone implied he knew there was more and all of them had to wonder if he knew more than he was letting on. Probably.

"He kept zoning out," Clint added. It hadn't seemed like a big deal at the time, but that could have also been a clue.

"We finally discovered the truth when-" Natasha paused, misery flashing in her eyes and disappearing a millisecond later.

Clint noticed and grabbed her hand underneath the table, giving it an encouraging squeeze.

That provided the strength for her to go on. "When he hurt Cap."

Fury nodded, unsurprised by the turn of events (okay, Clint decided the guy knew everything).

"Speaking of which," Banner began, getting to his feet. "I should get back to check on-"

"We're not done yet," Fury interrupted, shooting a glare at Bruce, shutting him up.

Clint was getting jittery, his leg bouncing beneath the table. They needed to get back! Stark was sure to be awake by now.

"Why were none of you smart enough to see this and stop it before it got out of hand?"

Clint gaped. Seriously? Fury was blaming _them? _That wasn't even freaking fair!

Natasha seemed just as upset. "Director, there's nothing we could have done. It took the _Hulk _to beat Loki out of Stark."

"And a well aimed blow to the head wouldn't have done the trick," Fury phrased the question as a statement.

This was when Stark would crow, "Owned!" if he'd been there. Unfortunately, he wasn't, so an ashamed silence befell the room.

"I think I have all I need," Fury said just as the quiet was about to become unbearable. "You're dismissed."

The three just about leapt to their feet and equally disguised their sprinting from the room as a brisk walk.

"Well, that all seemed horrible," Banner commented, being the first one out.

Natasha almost chuckled at the familiar remark.

Clint just sighed, unable to leave the Helicarrier fast enough. "I _really _hate debriefings."

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Steve knocked softly on the bedroom door. "Tony?"

He didn't get an answer. He wasn't expecting one, to tell the truth. That didn't stop him from slowly opening the door and poking his head in, however.

Stark was sitting cross-legged on the floor at the window with his back to the entrance. His spine was completely straight, his posture stiff.

Steve started over, making sure that he made enough noise to alert Tony that he was there.

The man didn't turn around and Steve was starting to see what Pepper meant about "mentally unstable." The speculation was confirmed when he acknowledged the glazed look in the chocolate brown eyes. They were now close to black with a haunted gaze.

Steve remembered a look similar to that one. It wasn't unlike the expression on Bucky's face when he found his friend strapped to a laboratory desk after being experimented on (or something like that. Steve had never asked. And now Bucky was gone).

"Stark, can you hear me?" he inquired, lowering himself onto the carpet to sit next to his comrade.

Tony didn't respond. He didn't even turn to look at the voice as he continued to stare out the window.

Steve sighed. This was looking worse by the minute. "If you can understand me at least move. Blink. Anything!"

Stark finally turned empty, unseeing eyes on him. At least it was something.

"Okay, good. Listen, I need to apologize." Steve took a deep breath and launched into his speech. "I know I once told you that you weren't a hero. But I couldn't have been more wrong, Tony. When you took that nuclear missile into the portal I realized that. You really do care about others and I shouldn't have assumed you didn't. That's why you became Iron Man isn't it? To help people?"

He just got the same blank stare. And he figured he imagined the hint of a nod.

"Look, I know you feel guilty about what you did when under Loki's control. But you couldn't help any of that! It wasn't your fault any more than it was Barton's. And trust me, he felt awful, too."

Tony's gaze dropped to his lap in what looked like shame. It was hard to tell with those inexpressive eyes.

Steve sighed again. He'd done all he could. Now all he could do was wait. "There must be something that will cheer you up. What about a movie?"

He at least got a half shrug. He allowed a spark of hope at that. It meant that Stark had at least understood what he'd said. "Good. Come on."

Steve gracefully rose to his feet and held out a hand to help Tony up. He pulled his friend (yes, friend. He decided that's what Stark should be considered as) to a standing position, leaving a steady hand on the man's arm as he led him to the theatre room.

As he entered the comfy area lined with several couches and a giant screen, Steve reflected on the first time he'd seen this particular room. Stark had chuckled as he'd gaped at the size of the television. He'd gone to theatres before, yes, but to have one in your own house? That was impressive. It was complete with its own condiments bar. It had all the candy and popcorn toppings you could dream of along with a popcorn machine.

But when Steve asked Tony if he wanted anything, instead of answering with his usual, "I'll have caramel popcorn with peanut M&M's," he didn't respond, settling himself on the center couch.

Steve barely contained another sigh as he sat at the opposite end of the couch after popping in the fourth Star Wars (technically it as the first. Steve had never understood why the first movie was called episode IV even after Stark attempted to explain). Tony had gotten him hooked on the franchise after insisting on having a marathon as a celebration of their victory over the Chitauri.

About halfway through the movie, Steve glanced over to see Stark nodding off against the armrest. It looked uncomfortable. His arm was awkwardly hanging over the edge and his head was laying on top of it at a what looked to be painful angle. That had to be killing his neck, but he couldn't blame the man. He obviously hadn't been getting much sleep lately.

Steve left the movie playing as he got up and grabbed a blanket, draping it across Tony (and resituating him. He couldn't bring himself to leave him like that) before quietly sneaking out of the room. His friend certainly needed the rest.

As he was leaving, he didn't hear the satisfied sight that came from Stark in his sleep.

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**I'm thinking for the next few chapters I'll have each of the Avengers try to help Tony get back to normal. I'm also thinking I'll have Clint change him in the end. Let me know what you think! :)**


	9. Chapter 9

**Sorry for the wait. This chapter's a bit shorter and I'm not too sure at my Banner impression. It might not be as good because my brain pretty much got stuck. I hope it's still enjoyable.**

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Chapter 9

"Did you know I actually thought he was going to kill me there for a while?" Clint asked as he landed the quinjet on the roof of Stark Tower.

"I wouldn't have let him kill you," Natasha returned with a reassuring look.

Bruce couldn't pretend not to notice the budding romance between the two agents. All he could say was good riddance. In his opinion, they should have gotten together ages ago.

So, he just shook his head, allowing a brief smile as he went inside in front of them. When he got to the kitchen for a quick drink before checking on Cap, he found the man himself sitting there.

"Steve!" he cried out, the brief smile growing to overcome his features. "You're awake!"

Steve smiled back in that controlled way he had. "It's good to see you, Dr. Banner. Are Hawkeye and Widow-"

He didn't get to finish his question because the pair decided to walk in at that exact moment. Both of their eyes lit up at the sight of their leader. "Cap!"

Steve chuckled, but Bruce had to notice the depth of pain in his gaze.

"Are you okay?" he asked urgently, his doctor instincts kicking in. "Are you still hurt?"

Cap shook his head immediately. "No. No, I'm fine."

"Stark?" Natasha asked as if she had read his mind. God, she was good.

"Yes. He's...changed."

Fear ignited in Bruce's heart causing his chest to ache. His best friend had to be okay. He _had _to be. "What's the matter with him?"

Steve launched into an explanation of all that had happened. Waking up, bumping into Pepper, and finally talking to Stark. It didn't sound promising.

"Loki," Barton hissed, clenching his fists. "So help me God, I'm going to beat the brains out of that freaking son of a-"

"I know you're upset," Cap put in. "But revenge isn't the answer."

"To heck with revenge," Natasha said darkly. "Let's skip straight to sudden death."

Bruce felt the Other Guy trying to break free. His alter ego wanted to pound Loki into the ground like before. Not to mention Bruce Banner was ticked off, too. Luckily, he was able to maintain control (with a little...okay, a _lot_ of effort).

"No one messes with one of our own," Barton stated with confidence. "You want one of us?"

"You get us all," Natasha completed.

"We can worry about Loki later," Steve said in his "listen-up-suckers-because-I-know-what-I'm-talking-about" voice (Tony's words). "Right now we need to focus on getting Stark's mental condition back to normal."

"So, a good knock to the head incurring short term memory loss should do it," Clint said with a half shrug. "Easy."

"It's not that simple, Barton," Bruce contradicted. "The mind is a delicate piece of territory. One misstep and-"

"-boom," Natasha finished. At the strange look she explained, "I was translating it to Clint speech."

"I take offense at that," Hawkeye shot back with mock hurt.

"Shut up, Clint," Natasha returned coolly, a hint of a smile on her lips.

"So, you've talked to him?" Bruce asked, getting back to the previous topic.

Steve nodded. "Trust me when I say his attitude is off."

"And here I thought Stark couldn't be broken," Barton mused.

"I'm going to talk to him," Bruce said, his tone holding no room for argument. "Where is he?"

Cap looked skeptical, but he didn't protest. "The theatre room."

Bruce nodded his thanks and headed that direction, knocking on the doorframe lightly before stepping inside. Sympathy raced through his heart as he saw his best friend seated on his favorite burgundy couch. Tony was absolutely still, his eyes glazed over as he stared at the opposite wall.

"Tony?" Bruce called, making his way over.

Tony angled his head to look at him. No flash of recognition appeared. No joke sounded. His usually chatty friend remained silent.

"How...how are you feeling?" Bruce asked, lowering himself to sit on the couch.

"Sometimes I can still feel his presence," Tony whispered. Even in the hushed tone the agony was evident. "And I can't fight him. He's too powerful."

"But I thought he was gone," Bruce argued, mostly just relieved Tony had actually spoken.

"No. Remnants of his voice are still around. Bruce he's...forcing me to...be like this."

It was peculiar how Tony was having trouble getting the words out. "What do you mean?"

"Loki...he talked to me after...the Hulk's pounding. He told me..."

Tony broke off, pressing his hands to his temples. The pain he was in was as clear as day.

Bruce grabbed his friend's shoulders and shook him slightly. "What did he tell you?"

Tony shook his head, curling into himself. The spell was too strong. He couldn't break it.

Bruce sighed and patted his back in a comforting manner. "It's okay, Tony. You can stop trying."

Tony stayed retreated inside himself, blocking out other distractions. It was the only place he could find where the spell was ceased.

"Tony?" Bruce questioned, noticing the sudden change. "Are you still with me?"

He got no answer as Tony sat up, returning his blank gaze to the wall.

Bruce resisted the urge to "Hulk out" (Tony's words again) and pummel some sense into Tony's stubborn mind. Don't get him wrong! Stubborn could be good when he was, say, refusing to give up on Steve's futility with technology, but right now it was very bad.

"Okay." Bruce sighed again. "I'm going back to the others. Do you want to come?"

Tony shook his head (if you could call that miniscule movement "shaking") and pulled his knees up to his chest, resting his chin on them.

Bruce felt disappointment seize his emotions. "Well, if you change your mind we're in the common room."

He waited a few moments longer, hoping the man would decide to come with him. When he didn't, Bruce turned and left. He hated having to be the bearer of bad news. Especially after receiving a expectant look from each of the others.

"How'd it go?" Barton asked in a guarded tone. He didn't want to seem too eager.

Natasha's emerald green eyes appeared to see right through the doctor. "No difference?"

Bruce sighed once more. "I wouldn't say that. He at least talked to me."

Steve's eyes lit up. "That's good, right?"

"Not really."

Clint's eyes narrowed. "What happened?"

"I think Tony's under a spell."

Natasha arched a perfectly groomed eyebrow. "How do you figure?"

Bruce took to pacing, fingering his glasses in his hands out of habit. "He was trying to tell me about something Loki did to him. But no matter how hard he tried the words wouldn't come."

"So, you think Loki's spell has something to do with keeping it secret," Steve put in reasonably. "Does that mean Loki altered Stark's mind?"

"Exactly!" Bruce exclaimed, whirling around to point at him. "I think you're right."

"How do we break it?" Barton asked. "Hit him on the head again?"

"I can manage that," Natasha said without emotion. None of them doubted her for a second.

Bruce shook his head. "I'm not sure that would work this time. I think that what we're doing right now is the best we can do at the moment."

"And...what would that be?" Clint questioned with confusion.

"Talking to him," Cap informed. "Go about life as if everything's normal."

"So, basically the opposite of you," Natasha joked, elbowing Barton.

He smirked. "Act unlike me. Got it."

Bruce tried not to facepalm. This could either go really well or end up a total disaster. Hopefully the former. Tony couldn't afford to live the rest of his life like someone who desperately needed a psychologist's attention.

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**I'd like to know what you think. And I promise the next chapters will be better (I hope).**


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